Mohawk, Chess, Jigsaw and Polyphasic Sleeping...

Challenge(s): Have a Mohawk for a week, challenge people randomly to a game of chess and build a 2,000 piece jigsaw in a week. Polyphasic Sleep Project.

Skills Developed: Love of Mohawks. Appreciation to not underestimate people named Grace. The ability to formulate 2D thoughts into 3D... lack of sleep... 

Overview/Rant: To make up for lost time I decided to undertake 3 different challenges in one week. Challenge numbero uno was that of donning (from the verb 'donner' - to don) a mohawk for a week. Suffice to say my 'mohawk' received various compliments and insults... Firstly- it wasn't truly a mohawk, more a Mr. T haircut... that said I did receive various expected responses from friends and family... BUT there was the occasional person who really liked it... so 'mixed' response would be the best answer to the question that you did not ask...

In terms of a challenge- it was actually quite difficult... You're be surprised how quickly someone will judge you based on your hair style- it wasn't anything major but I found that people were a little shorter with me than usual... shop assistants and bus drivers were less eager to meet me eye-to-eye than what I would usually encounter... of course all this is subjective... it's like when you have a spot on your face and you're ABSOLUTELY certain that everybody can see it... and not only that... they're judging you for the spotty geek that you are...

Actually... I was a bit spotty this week... dammit...

Okay- the 2nd challenge: be a chess master... right so... someone (I can't remember who- I was probably drinking) suggested that I challenge people to a game of chess everyday for a week... while this seems like an interesting concept... I didn't really get what I was trying to achieve... was I supposed to win? Wouldn't I just play people who really suck? 

Well I didn't... except Fiona... she didn't know how to play chess... pffth... blondes...

I played 5 games total- 2 via facebook games application... you will be astonished the number of people who reject to play you in a game of chess... it's hurtful... the other three were at a dear friend of mines house warming party... do not ask me why there was a chess board at the party... there just was... so I played 3 games there...

First was against the sexiest half of Team Rocket - James... 

I played Pikachu to James's Meowth... need more detail? Find it here...

Second was the Cavan Chess Champion Dallan... me and Dallan have a history with chess... basically the first time we played each other (many moons ago) Dallan LIED to me and told me he didn't play much... then when he beat me he decided to disclose that he was in fact some sort of Cavan Chess Champion... pathological lying? Sign of a serial killer? I don't know... but that look in his eye tells me to watch it... 

By the end of this match it was Dublin 1... Cavan 0... Boo yeah...

Last... but not least... Grace...

I was playing a blinder... winning left right and centre... but thanks to 'amazing' Grace... that was destroyed in what can be described as the epic-est of chess games in drinking-chess history. The look of glee on her face almost makes me forgive her for destroying my winning spree...

Almost... 

Another challenge was to complete a 2,000 piece jigsaw... I'm going to go out on a limb and admit that I didn't have time (well I did- but I forgot) to do this challenge- so I completed a 3D jigsaw instead... it only had 416 pieces BUT it was 3-D... that's like at least 1.5 times harder than 2D... (that's what she said)

The masterpiece...

Finally- I spent the next week undergoing Polyphasic Sleep... you can read all about it here and I seriously recommend that you do... but simply put- polyphasic sleep means you go to sleep at 6 times periods during the day and nap for 20-30 minutes during those periods. So my day went like this for example

Midnight: 20/30 minute nap

4am: 20/30 minute nap

8am: 20-30 minute nap 

Noon: 20-30 minute nap

4pm: 20-30 minute nap

8pm: 20-30 minute nap

People typically take around 90 minutes to enter REM sleep (read more about that here) but with polyphasic sleeping you end up tricking/training your brain into entering REM sleep much sooner. Now- this experiment needs to be conducted over weeks, if not months, to have an effect... BUT I will divulge the experience that I had.

Day 1 - a little tired... the 4am nap was hardest and I ended up sleeping till 5am... but otherwise the rest of the day was grand. I definitely had more time on my hands- but fighting the urge to sleep was my main aim and this time was spent watching TV to keep awake.

Day 2 - more energy than yesterday... managed to sleep all the naps fine and didn't oversleep. Occasionally I didn't actually sleep for a nap, just rested... but I didn't feel like I was lacking sleep in any way! It was really good! 

Day 3 - this day was perfect until I went out for drinks in town... a lot of drinks... and suffice to say I couldn't nap in town so I ended up sleeping in the next morning... dammit..

Day 4 - Tried to re-embrace the pattern but couldn't nap due to having a full nights sleep. Went out for dinner and a few glasses of wine that night... back by 1am so I figured I'd stay up till 4am and try recontinue the pattern... this brings us to Day 5...

Day 5 - Woke up at 10am... but managed to get back on schedule by 4pm and kept it up till Saturday... until I had to work at a gig... and was given free drink...

Basically- having read up on this polyphasic sleep and having tried to do it I can conclude a few things...

1.) It seems really interesting and I do think that there are benefits behind it. I was already dreaming when I went for naps by the last day and I did feel that a lot of time had passed even though I'd only been asleep for about 20 minutes.

2.) It is only possible if you choose not to have a social life... you cannot nap in town... you cannot drink heavily and then expect to not sleep... this sleep pattern does not allow for flexibility... 

I obviously can't really make a judgement on this because I've barely begun to experience it BUT I am going to keep this sleep pattern up for the rest of the summer with a few minor adjustments...

1.) I will be a polyphasic sleeper on the days where I have not planned a social event/gathering/piss up... 

That's the only adjustment really.

But this is an eye-opener to a whole different way of living, especially highlighted in this guys blog (who is also called Steve) who undertook the polyphasic sleeping for a year... and apparently found it really good... except for his social life....

Recommendations/Conclusions: Try a mohawk... although make sure it's a proper one and not the Mr.T mohawk I attempted. Play Chess... it's awesome and beating people from Cavan will make you more of a man. Polyphasic sleep is definitely worth considering if you have 1.) a flexible boss or 2.) no job.

Other stuff: The idea of polyphasic sleep came from Pauric Carroll (another Cavan man) who stole it (as Cavan men are wont to do) from a book called the GAME... 

The GAME could be the most important book you ever read. I recommend it to men and women everywhere. Read more about it here. 

Future Challenge: 5 different continents (Australia/ Africa/ America/ Europe/ Asia) and 5 different cuisines. So I try cook a meal from a different continent everyday... inject a bit of culture into my life.. other future challenges include getting my blogs done on time...

Random stuff: Let's gangbang this thing and go home...

Gleek

Challenge: To record a 'Glee' style song with some amigos

Skills Developed: The ability to incorporate the word 'boobies' or 'boob' into any film title.

Overview/Rant: For those that haven't watched Glee yet- shame on you. For those that haven't heard of Glee yet- just leave. 

The major selling point of Glee is obviously the music- but I implore you (feel implored) to watch it for Sue Sylvester as well... 

After a week of watching Glee, from beginning to end, I was feeling incredibly motivated to break into a Glee style musical number. So with this motivation I e-mailed some of my drama buddies (yes- I have specific friends for specific occasions) and we decided to meet Friday last (I'm late with this post- could have been the Friday before... or maybe it was a Saturday?) and work on a little Glee magic. Rather than be a dictator and pick a song I decided I would open it up to the group to decide a musical number... this was an error which took several hours of discussion and heavy drinking to correct.

At some point we talked about whether or not we wanted to be original and do our own take on a popular song that hasn't been done by Glee. The latter was deemed the best option by most people. Once this was decided we had a short (3/4 hours) discussion on whether to do a mash-up of two songs, and if so- which two. We EVENTUALLY decided that we would mash-up the Killers song "I Got Soul" with... well... another song that we hadn't actually decided upon yet...

So we tried learning some harmonies...

I continued to drink... others joined... we gave up learning harmonies...

J* whipped out a backing track to the Glee version of "Don't Stop Believing" and the rest is history.

Then we went to the Poets room which is littered with film posters and "re-titled" them: Transboobies, Pulp Boobies, Edward Scissor Boob, Star Boobies, Boob... and so forth... 

Conclusion: Glee night was awesome. I got a Mohawk. We didn't sleep till 6am. When we'd finished singing Journey, we just sang other musical show tunes. In terms of challenge completion I'm going to give this one a good olde tick- BUT I may revisit this later to do an actual mash-up of two tunes and see if we can reattempt this fiasco.

Recommendation: Watch Glee. Sing. Get a Mohawk.

Special Thanks: Thanks to Boozing Bourke, Drama Bob and Robin Hood who offered their services but couldn't make the night- worry not- we will have a Glee 2.0 night! Special thanks to J who did the recording and editing of the track. Thanks to the Sweetman for a bit of 3-in-1.... Boo to Alice McFail who left early! Thanks to the singers: Cidona, Clong, Sexual, Mr. Mortar, the Poet and Brendan O'Rourke**

Here is my favourite Glee song... I mean- it's Kelly Clarkson... KELLY CLARKSON... epic...

* All names have been changed to protect identities
** Named as it was felt his identity did not need protecting. He's the guy making that chicken clucking sound you hear in the background.

Angel of the Night

So- way back when- I said I'd record a song.

Here it is, recorded by Keith Burke.

It's just a rough version- I know it's got errors (piano and vocals in particular)- but the main idea of the song should be clear enough I hope.

Hope you enjoy it! Also next weeks 'Gleek' challenge is looking good- several volunteers to date and I'm even thinking of shaving my head into a Mohawk to give proper credit to this monumental event!

Diablo thy name be Diabolo...

Challenge: Learn some basic tricks on the DIABOLO...

Difficulty: 5/5

Skills Developed: A devout unrelenting hatred for the diabolo.

Overview/Rant: Firstly- I would have saved hours (days) of timewasting had I correctly learned how to spell the diabolo... my research did bring me back to the original Diablo game, which quite frankly, is better in so many ways than the diabolo. I mean- it had FIREWALL (see below) an entire WALL of FIRE (the writers had a tough day coming up with a name for that spell)... but, seriously, how awesome is that?! Does Diabolo have FIREWALL?! I think not.

The diabolo is also known as 'the devil on two sticks.' I attempted with great gusto to accomplish one single trick on the diabolo... I failed... miserably... I WAS going to record what I'd learned but the video would have only lasted about 2 seconds... including set up time. It was frustrating and soul destroying. Anyone that attempts this should have there head examined. Never in the history of the world has anything as frustrating as the diabolo been invented.

Conclusion: Shit- I've already covered my conclusion in the Overview/Rant section... um... this challenge was challenging and hateful in so many ways. I almost cried. Happy?

Random shit: I finished my Post Graduate Diploma in Education! Fully qualified now (got a first!!!). I also got a JOB... in Kuwait (holy shit)... and I watched through all 21 current existing episodes of Glee -it was inevitable... which leads me too...

Challenge next week: Get a group of singers together. Rehearse and record a song 'Glee' style. Anyone wanna volunteer to join then just leave a comment. Any song ideas? Then leave a comment... and on that note...